Description
The natural mineral clinoatacamite, Cu2Cl(OH)3, has been discussed as a frustrated quantum spin system. Electronic structure calculations have shown that its monoclinic crystal symmetry supports a ground state magnetic structure where antiferromagnetic Kagome layers are coupled ferromagnetically [1]. A previous neutron diffraction study on deuterated clinoatacamite powder revealed magnetic reflections with a propagation vector qm = (0, 0, 0) at 2 K [2].
Recent studies on clinoatacamite single crystals have revealed new features in the magnetic phase diagram between the temperatures 4.5-18.1 K and in applied fields along the b-axis [3]. However, the magnetic moment structure in this region is still not well established.
In this talk we will show some preliminary inelastic neutron scattering results that have revealed a complex critical phase between 4.5-6.5 K. This new and unusual critical phase highlights just how sensitive the magnetism is to competing interactions and frustration effects – showing that for clinoatacamite, it’s not easy being green.
References
[1] A. S. Wills et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20, 472206 (2008).
[2] J.-H Kim et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 107201 (2008).
[3] L. Stoedter et al., https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21024 (2025)
| I am the presenting author | Yes |
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